Our Collective Advice: Favorite Encouragement for First Time Moms

Being a first time mom is so incredible and can be so overwhelming! I remember feeling bombarded with people’s opinions on all sorts of topics that I didn’t even know would be an issue! I genuinely believe people mean well, but some advice is just, well, bad. Finding a community of moms to support you is KEY to surviving these early, little years!  And while I encourage you to seek out a supportive community local to you, if you’re looking for a supportive community online, we’ve got just the place for you. 

Did you know Bannor Toys has a Facebook community called “Bannor Toys Collective”? Our mission is simple: We are creating a space for mom's to share life’s ups and downs, ask questions, help others, share pictures your littles, and get the inside scoop on what is happening at Bannor Toys. I turned to this community to ask for their favorite advice for a first time mom, and they certainly delivered!

When I was a first time mom. one of my favorite pieces of advice was something along the lines of, “When my baby was 9 weeks old, I thought man, THIS is the best age. Then she turned 9 months and I decided no THIS is the best age!! Suddenly she was 9 years and somehow it was better - that was the best age. And now she’s 19 and you know what? This is the best age!” I love that perspective shift! It feels so encouraging to know that there is good ahead and that we can choose to love seasons as they come!

Here’s some of great first-time-mom advice shared in the Collective:

“All things are temporary. The sleepless nights, clinging, pickiness, tantrums. Each stage is temporary.” - Patricia B.

“Not super deep, but… baking soda baths for diaper rash. I thought my mom was crazy and it wasn't safe. But every time my daughter has a bad day or an instant bad rash, we do one and it settles her skin right down.” - Jessica H.

“Everyone will give you their opinions and advice but at the end of the day you need to trust your own mama instincts!” - Kristen G.

“Get in the pictures. No matter how you look. You don’t want to reflect back and only have pictures of them with everyone else.” - Kacy B.

“Water and fresh air basically fix all fussiness/etc. My husband and I started taking my daughter outside any time she cried (unless it was clear she needed a diaper change or to nurse, of course) when she was a newborn. She just turned 4 and now she ASKS to go outside when she’s upset.” - Mary F.

"One of my favorites is when things get crazy or kids are driving you nuts, take them outside or put them in water (bath time). Their mood changes almost instantly most times, I do this with my big kids often, too.” - Carolyn A.

“Use kitchen shears to cut up food, much faster than a knife!” - Jessica K.

“Take pics with you in them even if you don’t feel like it. They are for you to look on! It flies by and you can’t go back. Use paper plates the first few weeks after baby is born!” - Justine B.

“One of my favorites is/was ‘never count the hours (or lack thereof) of sleep’ - just get up, start the day and move on. Yes, you’ll be tired, but one day they won’t need you in the night like that and it’s not going to do anyone any good to just dwell there.” - Jessie B.

“One of my friends reminded me that when you have a baby you are meeting that person for the first time. It may take a few days or weeks to adjust to each other. So don't stress if you don't have that immediate bonding moment.” - Kelly O.

“My favorite two were: it's okay for them to cry. That sometimes I won't be able to figure out what they want, and sometimes they won't know either. And it's okay to let them cry. It will all work out in the end. And to make sure that I made time for a bubble bath and a book. Parenting is hard. And sometimes, even the best of parents need a break. Take the break before you need it, so that you never actually break before the break.” - Hayley P.

“The hack I love to show people is taking onesies off by sliding them down the whole body during a blowout so you don't get poop in the hair. Such a lifesaver and they're always amazed if they didn't know the trick before! Best I got was to include the baby in the things you like to do so they learn to like them, too. I do this with all the things! Food, travel, outdoor adventures, road trips, airplanes. It has made doing things so much easier!” - Kiley N.

“My favorite advice to give is buy zippered sleepers. Snap up sleepers will make you go CRAZY.” - Melanie N.

“A perspective that has stuck with me is that in the beginning your baby may actually be having the worst day of their life in a given day. For example, if kiddo has their first stuffy nose that may be the most discomfort they have ever experienced since birth so it's actually the worst day ever for them and anything you do to help is making the worst discomfort they've had better! You are a true super hero!” - Lauren F.

“1) Take all the maternity leave you want/can! You can tell yourself you’ll take a week later, in the summer, etc, but your baby will never be that small again and you will never be as disconnected from work ever again to enjoy the time. 2) Breastfeeding is HARD. You might think it comes so easily to other moms, but it doesn’t. Find what works best for you, your baby, and your family - nursing, pumping, combo feeding, formula - a fed, growing baby is a happy baby!” - Jill T.

“Take a shower every day after you come home with your baby. Make it a priority. Have your partner watch the baby while you take 30 min to have a hot shower and relax and have time alone for yourself. Mommy needs that.” - Jamie D.

“One of the best pieces of advice I received about introducing solid food was from a Le Leche leader mom with 4 kids…she simply said, when they start wanting to shove food in, they are ready! If you have to spoon it and they don’t want it, they aren’t ready. Gave me that peace of mind I needed.” - Denise B.

“All babies are different…breathe and go with it! Babies shouldn’t be expected to sleep through the night-roll with it and enjoy the snuggles-too soon they are gone! Fresh air and baths fix most things fussy/gassy!” - Megan M.

“A favorite parenting tip - swaddle baths! Use a swaddle in the baby bath tub and loosely wrap it over baby and then unwrap and clean one area at a time. Makes baby go from screaming during the bath to content and cozy!” - Samantha P.

“Never give up on a bad day. That was huge, especially for breastfeeding. If you still decide to stop something on a good day, then that’s the right choice. But don’t make decisions on bad days.” - Janna F.

“This too shall pass. Hard things won’t always be this hard. Even when it feels like they will last forever.” - Tina G.

I seriously LOVE the advice that was shared in our Collective! These mamas, aunties, grandmas & more are SO wise and generous. If you are a first time mama, or a fifth time mama, or a mama just needing a little encouragement - there’s room in the Collective for you too! It’s one of the most gentle places on the Internet and we’d really love to have you join our community. 

Hey, mama? You’re beautiful. You’re doing great. We are cheering for you.